German shipbuilder Meyer Werft has unveiled a cruise ship concept that would run entirely on batteries.
While still in the concept phase, Meyer Werft says project ‘Vision’ could become a reality by the early 2030s.
The vessel is planned to be over 275 metres long, weigh around 82,000 gross tonnage and accommodate 1,856 passengers.
The aim behind the project was to demonstrate how cruise ships could reduce CO2 emissions and contribute to decarbonisation. According to the shipbuilder, the design could enable a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) of up to 95%.
Global shipping is responsible for around 3% of the world’s GHG emissions and, with global trade predicted to quadruple by 2050, these emissions will increase rapidly without urgent action.
The shipping sector is considered hard to decarbonise, as electrifying ships is considerably more challenging than electrifying cars from both a technical and a market perspective. However, according to Meyer Werft, through a partnership with...